I'm always interested in things like ... why does the smell of Windex make me want to volunteer? I came across this blog entry (and read the subsequent report that is referenced). I pass it along simply for your consideration. ********** Use Lemon Windex at Your Next Gala, Raise More Money? Professors at Brigham Young University, Toronto University, and Northwestern University conducted a simple experiment and found that a room scented with Lemon Windex made test subjects more likely to volunteer for a charity and share more cash with partners in a trust-based exercise. Read their paper here. For charitable fundraisers I think it's worth your own test. And it wouldn't be terribly difficult. If you do multiple similar events in a year, try one with the room scented with lemon and one unscented as a control and compare the results both in terms of dollars raised and volunteers recruited.…
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We all know hell is a messed up place (a tad bit of an understatement). But this graphic helps visualize it in a way old gamers will appreciate.
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I'm passing on to you something I'm going to share with our ministry collaboration team at church. It's from Patrick Lencioni. Five Dysfunctions of a Team Absence of Trust Trust is critical in building a high-performance team and lack of trust is very visible in a dysfunctional team. The most telltale sign of lack of trust is that no one would bring up any issue/problems which will show him/her weak or vulnerable. ‘Having the guard on all the time’ is a characteristic of a team member in a dysfunctional team. I remember my experience with a leadership team; even though the project was in very bad shape, the manager in charge would always talk about great things the team was accomplishing and any uttering by other team members to the contrary was termed by the leader as ‘lack of team work’! Needless to say, there was no trust in the…
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If you are a leader who believes in coaching, here are three quick tips to help you add value to the people you lead: Be Consistent. A good coach -- in baseball or in life -- knows that it takes multiple practices to master even the most basic skills. Even then, the skills must be taught in a consistent manner. A good coach values consistency and sticks to it. Make Relationships a Priority. We listen to those that we have relationships with. If the person being coached senses that you don't care about their needs, hopes, or dreams -- that it's only about your needs, hopes, and dreams -- then the relationship will break down. Ask Good Questions. When it comes to helping an employee master a new set of skills or walking your child through a difficult conflict, ask good questions. Help them clarify what is really happening. A…
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After being snowed out a few times, we finally had a softball tournament this past weekend. Hope played down in Castle Rock and did a great job. Here's a snapshot of an at-bat.
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